HRPI Awards $40,000 In Grants To Fund Research Tackling Today’s Workplace Concerns

From gender equality to hiring employees with a criminal record, grants fund promising early-stage research.

When it comes to tackling contemporary challenges in human resources, the Human Resources Policy Institute (HRPI) at Boston University is making discernible strides. This past week, nearly $40,000 in grants were awarded to support doctoral students and faculty who exhibited promise in their early-stage research.

With recipients representing multiple departments within Questrom and in other schools and colleges at Boston University, these studies plan to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the working world today. From issues of gender equality to the rise of video gaming to make a living, read on to get a sense of the incredible work they have begun.

Following the host of controversies surrounding race, one study aims to investigate employees’ reactions to allegations of misconduct as it pertains to racial discrimination. This study will examine differences in employees’ reactions to controversy and misconduct at both the organizational and individual levels.

Another study comes in the wake of the #MeToo movement. After seeing responses to sexual misconduct allegations range from inaction to job terminations, the outcomes for the accused and the future labor market remain unknown. This study focuses on the lesser-explored consequences of alleged misconduct on the future labor market and the accused’s employment status.

Tackling similar social justice issues of gender equality, two proposed studies plan to examine the persistent inequalities women face in the workplace. One study focuses on the unequal wage distribution and gaps in earnings, positing that perhaps one reason for the gaps is a gender difference in the process of negotiating job offers. Another study revisits whether corporate boardroom gender diversity is associated with an increase in corporate social responsibility within the rest of the organization.

An additional study examines the outcomes following the reintroduction of formerly incarcerated people back into the workplace, how their experiences are shaped, and how they affect work performance. Noting how individuals with criminal records are likely to have longer tenure, less turnover, and are less likely to quit their jobs voluntarily, this study will delve deep into the stigma of having a criminal record and how it informs this group’s work behavior.

Another workplace study investigates the phenomenon of foreign workers, many coming from less economically developed countries, paying to be able to work in the United States. This study aims to answer questions of why workers are motivated to pay to perform menial jobs, and how their experience in these jobs informs the meanings of work.

The seventh and final grant was awarded to a study that assesses the lucrative world of professional video gaming and the intersection of digitized life and employment. Erasing the boundaries between traditional definitions of work, remote work, and non-work, advancements in technology has driven a spike in short-term, insecure employment relations, which this study hopes to learn more about.

Learn more about HRPI on their website.